Blue Requiem
by Six-string Samurai
Summary: Worlds collide when Nabiki Tendo makes her bid for the greatest power in the Multiverse. Revised. Someone lives. Contains elements of a dark nature.
1. Chapter 1

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.  
The One is Copyright Revolution Studios Distribution Company LLC. 2001. First Posting 2002 / Revised Edition 2008

A Ranma ½ Fan Fiction/The One AU by S³

Blue Requiem

_Brilliant pinpoints of light flicker, blinking into existence. Suns rise and fall, and the world continues its destined path. Always in motion, spinning a spiral dance. Elsewhere, this view replays on and on, fated to the same end. The same play, but the actors vary here and there. One line ad-libbed now, one part discarded then. A tragic scene of time marked with death and heartbreak, accompanied by the beauty of life and love. For every action, an equal and opposite reaction occurs. This is the Way, the balance of the universe. A balance existing since the beginning of creation itself…a balance that is about to be shattered._

--Delta Universe / Tokyo, Japan / July 9, 2002. 2:16 P.M. UC Universal Continuity -

Kensuke cursed inwardly, glancing at his wrist-crono for what appeared to be the fortieth time in the last twenty minutes. Sitting there in the coffee shop had seemed like a good idea at first, but now he was beginning to regret it. Sure, he could clearly see the front doors of the apartment across the street, but the slight glare on the shop window provided little cover for him. If Kensuke could see his quarry, the reverse would most likely hold true. That was something that he could ill afford, not this late into things.

Taking a sip of cold bitter coffee, Kensuke was just about to relocate himself when movement near the apartment caught his eye. "Shit!" His exclamation caught the attention of more than a few patrons in the small café, which he blatantly ignored; much more important things were at stake than a little scene in public. Stealth and secrecy be damned, she's getting away, Kensuke thought. With that sentiment in mind, he dashed outside and into the street, heedless of the oncoming traffic. Blaring horns and petulant curses filled the air at the spectacle of one desperate man.

As soon as the ruckus started in the road, the raven-haired woman knew that she had been spotted. A quick glance over her left shoulder confirmed it; some idiot was running through the traffic towards her.  
Flashing a bemused smirk, she stepped around the corner of the apartment building, and into the long alleyway. As if those bastards from the MVA could catch her, she felt like laughing at the very notion.  
She had to admit, they were a persistent lot. Footsteps echoing on the pavement behind her cut her attention back to the matter at hand.

Kensuke un-holstered his sidearm, just as he started running down the long alleyway. Up ahead he caught the tail of his quarry's coat as she rounded the far end of the building. This is getting better by the minute; she just had to make things difficult. Why, why couldn't they cooperate and stop drawing out the inevitable? Reaching the mouth of the next street, he paused. He wasn't too keen on repeating the mistakes of the last Agent. Not that his confidence was at an all time high.

Steeling himself, he spun around the corner of the dead end street. It was empty, he checked twice, to make sure he'd gone the right way. "Damn it, where the hell did she go?" The alley was empty. Nothing, nada, zilch. It was like she'd simply vanished. Lowering his firearm, he looked around for any possible egress. Maybe recon had missed something.

However the surrounding walls were blank, no doors, and no windows, and the wall at the back had to be at least fifteen feet high. Kensuke was getting pretty pissed. He had been tailing her for the entire week, ever since they'd managed to get a lock on her signal back at headquarters. All of that waiting and planning, and they had jack shit to show for it.

Slapping the wall with the side of his fist, he turned to leave, and found himself staring into a pair of cloudy blue irises. Kensuke wondered who'd fucked up the intel so badly this time. Kensuke's gun hand twitched. Maybe if he got off a shot. "Tendou, don't think this means anything. We've got the place locked down. It's over."

"Yes, it is," The woman found herself agreeing with the Agent's statement as she nailed him in the solar plexus with an open palm, almost before she noticed his weapon rising. The force of the blow lifted Kensuke off of his feet and sent him into a wall. The sudden impact released his grip on the gun, and it skittered across the ground. After the slumped form crumpled to the asphalt, she padded over to the weapon. The gun elicited a satisfying crunch as she crushed it under her boot heel.

Then she heard it, a faint beeping sound coming from the direction of the comatose man. Kneeling down next to him, the source of the disturbance was quickly discovered. It was his wrist-crono. Taking a closer look, she only shook her head in exasperation. The idiot was synched to a beacon, of all things. This mess was getting to be damn annoying.

Checking the locator on her own crono, she rolled her eyes. Unless those jerk-offs had a task force deployed in under two minutes, there was nothing to stand in her way, not this time. She jogged over to where she had a clear vantage down the alley to make sure no one was coming while she waited.

_Give me three minutes, and I'm home free._

This place had nothing to offer her anymore. With one last look around, she jumped up atop the dead-end wall, landing in a crouch. From there she easily made the next leap up to the roof of the building behind the apartment complex. This was it, the moment she had been waiting two weeks for.

The streets down below suddenly came alive as two MVA vans cut around the far intersection, sirens wailing in warning to the civilian populace. Up on the roof, the woman could only shake her head. Now, it almost made her sick, how inefficient they were growing. Like countless times before, they were too little and much too late. Proving her point, a swirling node pulsed into existence a few meters in the air above the rooftop. Sparing the uniformed peons a last glance, the woman laughed mockingly as she leaped into the node. As the wormhole closed, faint echoes of an agonized scream filtered through from the void beyond.

-- Gamma Universe / Tokyo, Japan / July 9, 2002. 2:24 P.M. UC -

Above an abandoned chiropractor's office the wormhole flashed into existence for the few seconds needed to deposit its wayward passenger. With a painful grunt the woman dropped the remaining ten feet onto the roof with a resonant thud. Normally able to weather a fall several times that height, the woman cursed the dimensional node for disorienting her so. Not one to let something so trivial irk her for long, she gathered herself up to survey her surroundings.

From the sleepy look of the town around her, she doubted anyone had noticed the slight disturbance her entry had caused. After all, wormholes were all but invisible from a few meters away. She also hadn't arrived on ground level, which surely would have complicated things. But, no, by her estimate she was in the clear; free to go about her business in this world. The end to this little game she played was so close, she could reach out and grasp it. And grasp it she would, with all her very being.

Getting down off the roof was but a trivial matter, as there was a ladder access down to a small side street. Leaping down was out of the question, not if she wanted to alert the authorities to her presence prematurely. Of course, once she reached ground level and entered the main thoroughfare, she was forced to reassess her situation. Judging by the large panda publicly sweeping the front steps of the building she had just come down from, the people around here probably wouldn't have batted an eye at her acrobatic performance.

This new world definitely bore some looking into. But what she needed right now was...for the panda to greet her familiarly with a large wooden sign. From the nature of the greeting, it would seem that the panda was acquainted with her analogue here in this world. Things were looking up with each passing minute. Now, the question was how to turn this to her advantage and locate her analogue quickly?

She wasn't quite sure what bothered her more, the fact that the panda could actively communicate with signs, or that it could turn itself into a man with just a splash of water. Or was it the other way around, the man could turn into a panda? Either case, it was something that she would have to work out later, as the panda-man seemed to know her quite well, and was asking her why she was back in Nerima, when she was apparently supposed to be out of town. It was a fair question, one which might require a decent explanation if she were indeed her analogue. The query really only confirmed her suspicions, as the feeling that she normally received when another version of herself was in close proximity lay dormant.

Taking a moment of reflection proved to be detrimental to her patience as the panda-man took her silence as a signal to launch into a tirade about responsibility or something similar. Before it could grow to overbearing, a well placed thrust punch quieted the source of ire. Naturally, it put her in something of a bad mood, when the man pulled himself from the crater he had made in the wall, looking only somewhat dazed. It figures, she thought, that a man who could shape shift would have the fortitude to weather one of her strikes, even one that she considered merely a tap.

Of course, her mild surprise was nothing compared to the look of shock on the man she had struck. It was as if the very act of physical retribution on her part had been inconceivable. This was a turn. This universe had to be one of the strangest she had encountered. What with transforming old men, and a version of her that was not a practitioner of the art. It could only be a sign. Her analogue would die painfully for being such a poor example of herself. But first, how to deal with panda-man? She was already in motion when a particularly vicious plan came to mind.

According to the information she had been so kindly provided, after ten minutes she found herself in front of the house where her analogue was supposed to be living at when she was in town. The sign at the front gate proclaimed the place to be the Tendou Dojo. This made her even more curious as to the nature of her counterpart in this strange universe. Her analogue possibly did not even practice the art, but even still made her home at a dojo. Not that it really mattered in the end, but this turn irked her to no end. To have such opportunity and let it go to waste. Yes, she was going to enjoy putting her analogue out of her misery.

First things first though, the panda-man had mentioned that her analogue was away at school, but that he didn't know which one she was attending. Here at the home of her counterpart, she expected to be able to find out exactly where her quarry was residing.

A light knock coming from the front door gave Kasumi pause, as she briefly wondered who it could possibly be. After marking her place in the book she was reading, Kasumi moved from the couch to attend whomever had come to visit. As far as she knew, Akane and Ranma were still at school, and Mr. Saotome was helping out over at the clinic. Her father was taking an afternoon nap,  
and certainly wasn't expecting visitors, so she was at a loss as to whom it could be. The pleasant smile she affixed quickly dropped into momentary confusion upon opening the front door. "Nabiki, what are you doing home? I thought you weren't due back for another month?" Kasumi realized something was amiss just before an impossibly fast strike to her temple dropped her to the floor. As her consciousness faded, her last waking thoughts were centered on Nabiki's eyes, why where they such a vibrant shade of blue?

Mikoshi picked up the incapacitated girl and brought her inside. It wouldn't do to leave her host slumped across the entryway. Already this little stop had proved its worth; she now had a name to go on. The panda-man had been telling the truth after all. That meant this Nabiki she had been mistaken for would be her analogue. No doubt about that.

After laying her burden unceremoniously across the couch, she made her way further inside the house, someone else was home, she could feel it. Her only options lie down a short hallway, or up a staircase, both of which were to the right of the entryway. From her current vantage point, she could already tell that the kitchen was vacant. Deciding to clear the first floor first, she moved down the hallway, only to find a bathroom and an empty room. That left only the second floor.

Since the second floor was much smaller, she found the second tenant rather quickly. Not so surprisingly, the man she found was the analogue of her own father. Of course that mattered little to her at this point, about as much as killing her own analogue mattered in fact.

Soun Tendou slept peacefully, dreaming of the union between the schools that was sure to take place, any day now. A great school united and the thought of grandchildren contented the Tendou patriarch even as death looked on dispassionately in the form of one of his own daughters. The faint traces of a smile that graced his sleeping visage might very well prove to be his last in this lifetime. He would die content in his dreams, if not in his waking life.

Jarred from a pleasant reverie, as someone roused him from his sleep, Soun struggled to focus his thoughts. The first thing his addled mind perceived was enough to make him think he was still half-dreaming, Nabiki of all people, stood next to his bedside, fixing him with a glare that was unbecoming to someone that knew her well. Mind-boggled as he was, Soun sat up in bed to fix her unwavering gaze with a stern look of his own. "Nabiki, what do you think you are doing, skipping out on your education like this?" He was about to continue the tirade when she interrupted, silencing him with an upraised palm.

"Quiet old man, I'm not in the mood for this. Get your ass out of bed before I have to drag you downstairs myself. We have things to discuss." With that she left Soun sitting there, stunned speechless. Nabiki had never talked to him in this manner before. It was enough to bring an old man like himself to tears.

Mikoshi paused out in the hallway as the fool in the bedroom behind her began to wail about his poor baby having gone insane. She had half a mind to go back in there and quiet him in a permanent manner, when suddenly the waterworks turned off, followed by shuffling and footsteps approaching the door. Satisfied, Mikoshi made her way downstairs to check on the girl. It wouldn't do if she woke up due to the pitiful wreck Mikoshi had the misfortune of dealing with soon.

Back downstairs Kasumi was slowly coming to, when she heard footsteps descending on the staircase. The last thing she remembered clearly was Nabiki standing at the door, after that, everything became hazy. She slowly pulled herself to a sitting position, though even that little motion proved a mistake when pain shot through her head to linger just behind her eyes. Barely suppressing a groan, she cradled her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. Even the faint light creeping through the blinds was too much for her at the moment.

With her head swimming like it was, collecting her thoughts was a chore that she didn't relish. To make matters worse, she felt, rather than heard a presence close behind her. Her next thought was that it was Nabiki, but something was wrong with her sister. She felt somehow different. Kasumi visibly shuddered as hands placed themselves on her shoulders. Regardless of how her head was feeling at the moment, she really didn't care to turn around and meet the blue eyes that were surely waiting for her own.

What little confidence Kasumi could muster was bolstered as a second set of footsteps descended the stairs. From the tread, it had to be her father. Was it too much to hope he could make things right with Nabiki again? Ever so slowly, she cracked her eyes open, wincing at the harsh glare of the room. Kasumi craned her neck upward to look upon the one whom was still resting hands upon her shoulders. As she supposed, it was indeed her sibling. Once those blue eyes caught her own, she knew. This was not the sister she had grown up with, and taken care of. It was a stranger in her sister's skin.

-- Tokyo, Japan / Nerima Ward / July 9, 2002. 3:15 P.M. -

Letting out a breath, the eldest daughter of the Tendou household waited for her father to take a seat on the couch. The young woman that she had come to realize was not really her younger sister appeared also to be waiting for the elder Tendou to make his self comfortable on the couch. Kasumi, still recovering her wits, wanted very badly to confirm her uncertainties, but was unsure of how to go about doing so. Their guest had already proved volatile with her arrival, and Kasumi was not eager to have such attention paid toward her in the foreseeable future.

Once she had the two settled in the living room, Mikoshi took a little time to marshal her thoughts and put together what she knew of this universe, and the few people that were familiar to her in some way. Right now, that count consisted of one individual, of who was currently seated before her. If possible, this version of her father was even more pathetic by comparison to her own, not that it said much for either man. The girl before her though, she didn't exist in Mikoshi's world. That labeled her an enigma, but not yet a threat. For her part, the older girl seemed harmless, and more than a little frightened. Which, given her situation was not unwarranted.

One thing was sure, even if the girl was unfamiliar to her; Mikoshi had noticed she was resilient if nothing else. Not too many people would wake so soon after such a blow to the head and remain as lucid as the girl seated on the couch appeared to be. Surely the girl was suffering a terrible migraine about now. A pity that. The dimensional wanderer collected herself; it was time to get down to the important matter at hand. She wanted more information on her analogue, one Nabiki Tendou.

Settling her gaze on each in turn, she decided to start with the eldest, who at this point looked positively irate. Not that there was anything he could do or say to change the way things were going to be. Thus, she began, "I'm sure by now you're aware that I'm not your daughter." Already she had to pause and raise a palm to stop the spluttering comments that lay perched on the tip of the old man's tongue. "Please, let's dispense with the trivial matters, and get right down to it. One or perhaps both of you has the answers to what I want to know, and I mean to get them from you. Either you can cooperate, or I can drag the information piece by piece from you," seeing as she had their undivided attention at this point, she continued. "I would like for you to tell me the whereabouts of Nabiki. She and I have much to discuss. Kindly provide me with directions, and I shall be on my way. If not, I'm sure she can attest to my preferred method of persuasion," Mikoshi concluded her speech with a nod in Kasumi's general direction.

As if waking from a dream, Soun found his voice after a few moments of stunned speechlessness. "You aren't by chance a soul-sucking reflection of my dearest Nabiki are you?" Kasumi seemed to perk up at the statement her father made, which in retrospect did make a strange sort of sense, if it were true. After all, hadn't the same thing befallen Ranma-kun a few months ago? Kasumi and her father waited for the Nabiki look-alike to respond.

Mikoshi on the other hand was only perplexed by the absurdity of the question. That is, until she remembered the stupid panda. "What are you getting at old man? Just tell me where your daughter Nabiki is and I'll be on my way." Seeing the expectant look still on their faces, she amended herself, "No, damn it. I'm not a soul-sucking reflection of your daughter." I just want to kill her for her energy so I can add it to my own considerable power. Shit, that sounds weird, and I've been at it for more than a year already. Mikoshi ran a hand through her hair; this world was fast becoming one of her least favorites. She'd have to remember to wipe it out when she attained godhood after this was all over.

Far from being consoled at his fake-daughter's declaration Soun found himself close to tears, "Wah, the demon-in-the-shape-of-my-daughter is yelling at me"  
The outburst proved to be Soun's undoing, as Mikoshi had finally had enough. She picked him up by the front of his wrinkled gi with one hand, easily holding him just off the ground. Amazingly, the show of force all but dried up the tears in Soun's eyes. The situation was escalating past what he could handle in one afternoon, and he was about to blow his top. Unfortunately, a sudden headfirst confrontation with the far wall canceled out any chance he may have had of unleashing his anger at being manhandled by a demon impersonating his daughter.

Kasumi, afraid for her father's life, leapt up quickly from the couch to reach his side and see how badly he'd been injured from the impromptu flight. The faint tread of the other girl approaching from behind caused Kasumi to turn and regard her warily, as one might a poisonous snake. Her father hadn't done anything to deserve such harsh treatment. Not that her own treatment was any more deserved. How she wished Akane or Ranma-kun were back home from school right now. They'd know how to deal with this situation. It seemed the two were always fighting these days. All that practice had to be good for something.

Mikoshi was seething. Normally she wasn't quite so temperamental, but something about these two just set her off. All she wanted was a simple answer to a simple question. If someone would be so kind as to tell her where the hell Nabiki was, she could be done quickly and get on to the next world. One that was devoid of shape-shifters and whiny old men. But, apparently that was just too much to ask around here. Someone else thought so too, because just then the front door opened and two more people joined the lively party at the Tendou place.

"We're home," Akane called out as she walked in, taking off her shoes and stepping aside so Ranma could do the same. The next words died in her throat once she straightened up and actually took a look over at the scene unfolding before her. Her father was in a heap at the bottom of the stairs with Kasumi apparently trying to shield his body with her own from someone that looked just like, "Nabiki! Kasumi, what's going on? What's wrong with dad?" The youngest Tendou strode forward, unsure, but determined to sort things out.

Hearing Akane's confused shout, Ranma quickly moved inside to assess the situation. What he saw was confusing, but not too out of the ordinary for him. Mr. Tendou was out cold at the base of the stairs and Kasumi was huddled against him looking on in fear as Akane moved to defend her family from, Nabiki? "What the heck are you guys doin'?" His question went unanswered as the tension in the room rose to uncomfortable heights. "Hey, I'm talkin' here!"

Mikoshi started forward at the shouts of the newcomers. She wanted answers and she meant to get them, no matter how many she had to go through to get them. The younger girl that had just entered bore some faint resemblance to herself, and the older girl covering the old man. Just what she'd always wanted, another bratty sister. Her opinion of this world dropped another several notches. Oh well, she thought, might as well get started.

Akane didn't even have time to put up a defense before she was blown backward by the sheer force of the kick Nabiki hit her with. Only split-second timing on Ranma's part saved her from smashing painfully through the front door. As it was, they both ended up in a pile in the entryway. Her abdomen felt like it was on fire, and Ranma's knee having somehow found its way into her back wasn't helping matters any.

Considering the matter finished, Mikoshi refocused her attention on older sister. "Tell me what I want to know, and I might make this quick. My patience is wearing thin." She had barely finished speaking when the sound of air being parted caused her to cant to the side, just barely avoiding a flying side blade kick launched at her courtesy of the pig-tailed kid that had arrived with Nabiki's little sister.

"Listen kiddo, I'm only going to say this once, stay out of my way," Mikoshi punctuated her statement by knocking Ranma for a loop with a reverse crescent kick that caught him as he was just about to leap at her again. This time however, she wasn't going to let him get back to his feet. She'd had about enough of the stamina that these people seemed to possess. Another kick plastered the hapless youth through the kitchen wall. "And stay down!"

Akane was no fool and not unskilled in the arts, she made her move as her seemingly possessed sister struck at Ranma a third time. Unlike before, she landed a solid blow. She didn't want to really hurt her sister, just knock her unconscious so they could figure out how to lift whatever spell she was under. A normal person would have succumbed to the pressure point strike she landed to the nerve cluster in the neck, but somehow, Akane found she'd actually done more injury to her own hand than to her sister. This wasn't going as planned at all.

Stunned as he was, Ranma clearly heard Akane cry out in pain. He struggled to right himself, but he felt like he'd been hit by two or three Ryougas combined in just those three strikes. Something was seriously wrong here. How could Nabiki have gained such strength in the month since he'd last seen her? No training could account for such an astounding increase.

Clutching her sprained hand, Akane tried reasoning with her sister, as force didn't seem to be working, at all. "Nabiki, what's gotten into you? What did you do to dad?" Her eyes were already beginning to tear from the pain in her wrist. "Whatever's wrong, we'll get you help, I promise."

"Are you blind as well as stupid? I'm not Nabiki, and the only thing wrong here is none of you will tell me where Nabiki is. Now tell me if you value the lives around you, and your own for that matter."

Sure that her sister could hear her from within whatever part of her mind the demon had confined her to, Akane kept at it. "Please Nabiki, if you can hear me, fight it. Help us stop whatever has a hold of you!" Even though her hand was throbbing, she dropped into a defensive stance as Nabiki approached her. "We just want to help you, please." The last part came out in desperation, anything to distract Nabiki, since she could see Ranma attempting to sneak up behind her sister. Naturally, Ranma had to have a plan. Akane was determined to distract her sister as long as possible for whatever he had in mind.

It looked like Nabiki was putting all of her attention on Akane, giving him an opportunity to strike from behind. This situation was getting out of hand, and adaptation was an area he prided himself in. Oh, he had a plan all right.

Before, Ranma had been too concerned with hurting Nabiki. After feeling her increased strength firsthand, he judged that he raise the bar up a few notches. So she was a little stronger, big deal. He knew he had the advantage in speed and technique. After all, he had bested stronger opponents than this before. Besides, not that he held a grudge or anything, but Nabiki Tendou far from undeserved a little beat down as the Kuno siblings were from sanity.

Ranma launched himself toward the middle Tendou in a flurry of strikes aimed at taking her out of the fight, without causing too much damage. His eyes widened as the initial burst failed to do more than scatter air.

Unfortunately, it appeared there was a slight flaw in that Nabiki's new strength was apparently equaled, if not outright surpassed, by her speed.

_Even the lech, and the old ghoul weren't this fast!_

Furrowing his brow, Ranma amped up his attack to Chestnut Fist speed flicking out his fists with renewed vigor, this was Nabiki after all. Surely, one or two taps would put the girl down.

Before he realized it, Nabiki had sidestepped his attack, which left a panic stricken Akane right in his path. This was not a good way for things to start going. "Aw, crap. Keep outta the way Akane," Ranma shouted, to little avail.

Ranma plowed into Akane, sending them both crashing into the front door a second time. The door didn't hold up so well on the second go round, and Akane took the brunt of the blow, as her leg caught against the doorframe in the collision.

For the first time that he could recall in recent memory, Ranma had to put more than a little effort into righting himself. Things were not going the way he'd envisioned. Nothing like he'd thought, actually. This was Nabiki here, not Herb!

"I don't know what's happened to you Nabiki, but yer not gonna hurt anyone else, not while I'm still standin'," proclaimed Ranma as he pulled himself to his feet. Wiping the bits of wood from his shirt, he adopted a more mobile stance. So what if she was stronger and faster than he was? That never stopped him before. Saotome Ranma doesn't back down from a challenge! Gaining in self-confidence, he centered himself for the coming battle.

At this rate, he'd have to break out more powerful techniques, if it came down to it.

Managing to sit halfway up on her good leg, Akane realized how dire the situation was becoming. And worse, she was at a loss for what to do. Both her herself, her father were all effectively taken out of the fight. Kasumi wasn't going to be much help; she was still cowering against the unconscious form of their father. Mr. Saotome wasn't due back from his job for a little while yet. Not that she doubted Ranma's abilities. But, he was clearly outclassed at the moment. She really hoped Ranma could save them.

This was turning out to be one of the worst days ever. The thought that his ass was being handed to him time and again by Nabiki of all people was infuriating. His head hurt, his back hurt, hell, it was hard to find a part of him that felt like it wasn't broken. However, he could still get back to his feet. So he did, albeit a tad unsteadily. Raising his guard, Ranma looked for some kind of opening in her defense. Anything he could use, anything at all. He would not lose, could not. Not with everyone depending on him.

Grunting, he weathered another of Nabiki's powerful strikes. Breathing heavily, Ranma forced his body to right itself for what felt like the thousandth time. Almost too soon she bore down upon him with a flurry of kicks, terminating in a lightning quick spinning back kick.

_There goes another couple a' ribs. I can't even block 'em, does too much damage!_

Mikoshi felt something give through her last kick and grinned. I'll crush every last bone in his body by the time we're through. Letting him have another taste of her superior power, she intercepted his form just before he hit the wall, driving him diagonally into the floor with a downward elbow to his sternum. Leaving him no chance to recover, she planted a heel into his side, thrusting him along the floorboards and into a section of wall. That should finish him, she figured, watching the plaster settle around his limp form.

She darted in again, that preternatural speed which he both loathed and admired forced him to change tactics. Up until this point, Ranma had been trying vainly to meet force with force. Clearly, that approach wasn't working in the least. In fact, it was wearing him down faster than if he'd tried dodging the attacks outright. As her fists entered his space, he leaned just slightly to the side so that her strikes met with air. Making use of her momentarily extended hand, he tapped her wrist with a downward palm to draw her off-center. In that half-second, he snapped out his hands over top of her arm aimed at her unprotected chest. "Mouko Takabisha," he cried out, slamming his chi directly into his surprised opponent.

Mikoshi's eyes widened in the half-second before a blue glow enveloped her, and what felt like a hammer slammed into her stomach, lifting her backwards and away from the boy. She crashed to the floor, rolling away even as she hit. The quick slap of feet on wood told her that the martial artist hadn't wasted any time, and was already bearing down on her with his fists.

Feeling her head whip to the side from his first hit, Mikoshi turned her shoulders in the same direction. Spinning around with the force of the blow, she struck back with a hammer fist of her own. However, the boy must have been expecting the counter, because she felt him jam her shoulder with his palm, stuffing the strike before it could hit.

Not to be outdone, she dropped her stance slightly, altering the arc of her arm, turning it into a groin strike. The boy didn't completely avoid the hit and took a blow to the top of his thigh, just enough to break his flow. And that precious second was all the time she needed.

"Impressive as that was, it's time to end this little game," that said she thrust both her fists into the stunned pig-tailed boy's midsection. The strike sent him flying backwards, smashing through the table and into a cabinet. She was already darting in for the follow up blow as Ranma pushed himself up out of the wreckage.

Mikoshi nailed him with an elbow into his chest that set him back into range for roundhouse. She snapped out the kick to his knee and another to his head as he collapsed on the weakened leg, finishing off the string of attacks with an axe kick that caught him on the back of his neck.

Not content to just leave him lying there, she picked him back up by the front of his shirt. From behind, she could hear the girl near the front door, struggling to get up. That was fine by her. The problem in her hands was just about solved.

Akane was in tears over Ranma's sudden defeat. Nabiki had simply been too much for him; whatever it was possessing her, its power was terrifying. Akane was forced to watch, frozen in a sick sort of stupor, as Nabiki smashed her fiancée through the wall, where his body became lodged around a support beam. She prayed for his sake that he'd already been unconscious before the final blow. Akane now knew where her hope lay. It was broken and useless, imbedded in the kitchen wall. So she prayed...for herself and everyone. Most of all, she prayed for Nabiki.

Far from satisfied, she took one last look around the Tendou residence, feeling as if something were amiss. Some little detail was escaping her notice, meticulous as she made herself out to be. The niggling feeling at the base of her skull only served as a glaring reminder that more important things lie ahead. Whatever the problem here, she no longer had the luxury of time to sort it out. The damn MVA would no doubt be nipping at her heels in hours, if they'd ever manage to pull their head out of their ass, that is. No, Mikoshi knew she was working on MVA time, but after she was done here, well things would be on another level altogether.

As if to prove a point, the moment she stepped toward the front door the phone let loose a piercing ring, shouting out to the world that it was still here. When the itch at her neck increased to a pulsating throb she knew the call was not to be ignored. Things were set into motion that she could not fathom as of yet, but all seemed to be in her favor. Picking up the receiver only fueled her resolve and certainty. The voice on the other end of the line was all too familiar.

Allowing a brief smile to float to the surface, she answered the nonchalant greeting in kind, "Hey, I was just thinking about you Nabiki. No, everyone's here, just lying around. What do you mean,'who is this?' I'd hoped you'd be a little quicker on the uptake. Of course this isn't some kind of joke. You want me to put someone else on? Hmm, I don't think that's going to work out too well. Ok, but you'd do better to come and see for yourself. All right, bye then." Mikoshi replaced the phone on the cradle and smirked to herself. Tracking her analogue just turned out to be so much easier than she could have dreamed. The unfortunate girl was rushing straight to her own death.

True freedom had been too long in coming. Always, as long as could be remembered, there was something to bar her way, some obstacle to be surmounted, or crushed. But now, at the end of it all, the ultimate prize was all but giving itself to Mikoshi. Truth be told, it made her uneasy at some deeper level of reasoning. Oh, she knew what was next; plans had been laid, wheels already in motion, the perfect beginning for a new world diagramed long ago in her mind's eye.

She'd not come this far to doubt herself now, but in taking a look around at the state of the home around her, she had to wonder. Was this place once happiness? If it had been, there was no sign of that now. The father and two sisters were tossed in a pile amidst the remains of the staircase. The boy that had remained more than an inconvenience unto the end was partially imbedded through the kitchen wall, broken. Mikoshi took a second look, as she caught the telltale rise and fall of his chest. He might still be alive, but she could tell he wasn't going to be getting back up now, or anytime soon.

It'd been mildly discomforting to strike the boy in the head like she had. Her hand sported an ache for a few moments afterward. In fact, Mikoshi was surprised the pipes he'd been rammed into hadn't ruptured. The rest of the place was in shambles from the struggle of putting down the two martial artists. Her analogue's older sister hadn't put up much of a defense at all, neither had her 'father'. Two, maybe three minutes was all the fight lasted, and only that because it had been somewhat entertaining. Why, this place rated a six out of ten for the fight alone.

Now, all she had to do was wait a little longer. The little workout she'd had was making her thirsty. Maybe there was something decent in the kitchen. It'd been a while since she'd eaten, for that matter. Walking past the limp legs of the pigtailed boy into the kitchen, she gave the place a once over.

An appreciative smile gracing her lips as she found the cupboards and refrigerator to be well stocked. Someone here liked to keep things nice and orderly. Finding enough to tide her over, she set to making a decent sandwich. Yes, this certainly was a cozy little house. Unfortunately, there was nothing stronger than Oolong tea in the place. Well, she supposed she would have to make due for a little while longer. In her experience it didn't pay to linger long in any once place. Not with agents crawling out from under every rock. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to wait overlong for Nabiki to show.

-- Tokyo, Japan / July 9, 2002. 2:34 P.M. -

"Shit, I can't believe it. This was my last one!"

Resigned, Nabiki tossed the shards of yet another useless mechanical pencil into the waste bin near her small desk. The plastic bits fell onto a pile of similar ruined pencils and pens that had collected in the receptacle over the last few days. Quite the impressive collection, especially considering the damage was literally by her hand. This was the tenth pencil, and she simply could not afford to keep breaking them at the rate she was.

Finals were coming up, and she still needed to finish the outline for her Econ term paper. She'd already tried using a few different brands, but only the ones with thick rubber handles lasted longer than thirty minutes at best. They'd be fine until she got into the flow of writing and concentrated too hard. Inadvertently, she'd start to tense up and then, snap…broken pencil. At this point, Nabiki was deathly afraid to use her personal computer for fear of ruining the mouse and keyboard. Something strange had been going on for a few weeks now, and she was getting to her wit's end to figure out what it was.

Going to a doctor was out of the question, it was just too expensive, and not warranted, not just yet. There was no way a few cups and pencils, plus the odd utensil here and there, were going to stop Nabiki Tendou from completing the semester. Nothing was getting in the way, not with the work she'd put in to get as far as she had. Sure finances were tight, but when weren't they? No, nothing ever stayed a problem for long, not in Nabiki's world. With that though firmly entrenched, she pulled out one of the few remaining pens on hand, determined to finish the outline by dinner time.

As she was coming to find out over the past year, life had other plans for Nabiki Tendou. Divine interruption, going by the name of Chiiko, burst into their shared apartment bearing news of the latest sales downtown at the shopping center. Like Nabiki, Chiiko bore more than a passing interest in the world of business and finance. However, she was more focused on the dividends, and how she could combine success with her impeccable fashion sense. Nabiki loved her dearly for it, but sometimes the girl didn't know when to get serious. Clueless as only the truly beguiling can pull off, Chiiko prattled on, blissfully unaware of Nabiki's mounting irritation.

"Come on Nabiki. You can't fool me; I saw last week's pay stub. Don't pull that 'I'm broke' routine you tried last month. Surely you can tear yourself from that ridiculous assignment to go take a look at the new store opening with me! We'll just browse even, I promise!" Chiiko had a way of dragging out certain syllables in just the right way as to persuade even the most hardened heart. A year of living with such antics had bolstered the Tendou girl's immunity somewhat. Ultimately, it fell to a battle of wills. If Nabiki's was diamond hard, what lie behind the cheerful facade of her roommate was surely adamantine.

"Chiiko, you know full well that this 'ridiculous assignment, as you put it, is more than forty percent of our final grade. I can't just blow this off and save it for later." Solid as her argument was, Nabiki could feel the hollowness within. The broken pencils had only been one of the surface troubles of late. There were other, perhaps even more disturbing things going on. A feather light touch would crumble her resistance at this point. Something Chiiko picked up on, and exploited ruthlessly.

Seemingly brushing aside the pertinent statement Chiiko continued her assault, "The opening sale is forty percent, today only. You know how these boutiques are, they're not going to put on another sale like this anytime soon. If you miss it now..." Chiiko relished the few moments of reflection that flashed through Nabiki's eyes. She'd already won, and they both knew it.

"Ok, fine. But, I'm back here by seven, working on this paper," acquiesced Nabiki.

"Right, seven it is," Chiiko chirped back too quickly for her roommate's liking.

On her way to get her purse, an idle thought gave her pause. Out of nowhere, an image of her home in Nerima rose to the surface. It was gone just as suddenly as it appeared. Shaking her head, she checked the charge on her cell before following Chiiko out the door. Left behind, the half-finished outline lay on the desk, a promise to remain unfulfilled.

-- Tokyo, Japan / July 9, 2002. 3:25 P.M. -

She'd barely been out window shopping with Chiiko for an hour when Nabiki was seized with an urge to check in at home. It was nothing new, really. She'd felt this on several occasions over the past year, and simply attributed it to losing what little security she'd found while living at home. Of course, being out on her own was great in many aspects, but she had family to consider. Even now, a few months after Ranma had found it within himself to finally formally propose to Akane, she felt needed at home. Naturally, that was all in part due to her weepy-eyed father's complaints that nothing was the same since Nabiki left the Tendou home to live nearer to the University.

Leaving Chiiko to gape at an overpriced dress, she'd walked down the strip a ways to use her cell and check up with Kasumi. Lately, the older girl had seemed a little out of sorts. She'd heard, along with pretty much everyone that Doctor Tofuu might be coming back to his clinic in Nerima. If that didn't put a crimp in the waterworks, what could?

Pressing the assigned key for her home, she waited while the phone rang. Barely reaching the second ring the line cleared as someone picked up the phone. Customarily, she waited a second and a half for the telltale chime Kasumi's voice to proclaim the caller had indeed reached the Tendou residence. All she heard was the soft breath of whoever was on the other end of the line.

Slightly put off, Nabiki ventured to ask if she'd dialed the wrong number by mistake. The voice that greeted her only put her off stride even more. So familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "Who is this," she fairly demanded, for a moment sure that it was one of her sisters playing a crude joke. "Where is Kasumi, put her on," her tone was solid now, with no hint of the former sarcasm.

"You want me to put someone else on? Hmm, I don't think that's going to work out too well," spoke the exasperating, familiar voice.

Seeing as she wasn't getting very far with this person, she ventured once more, "Put Kasumi or my father on now, you don't want me to send someone down there." She didn't even bother to veil the threat in her voice. If she'd not been quite so stressed, she might have given other options, but as it was, she barely restrained herself from shouting into the phone in public.

The voice delivered a parting shot, "Ok, but you'd do better to come and see for yourself."

"What the hell do you mean by that? Damn it, talk to me," now she was yelling, and it ceased to matter. "I'm coming over with the police, do you understand!?"

"All right, bye then," the last line mocking as the connection was severed.

"Shit," Nabiki ran a hand through her hair, slumping down on a nearby bench. Not sure of what had just happened. Why was her world crumpling like this? What had she done to deserve this kind of treatment? A hand on her shoulder shook her out of the daze she'd fallen into. Looking up, Nabiki met with a worried Chiiko.

"Nabiki, what's going on? I could hear you yelling down the block." Taking seat next to the frustrated girl, Chiiko put an arm around her friend, prompting her to talk.

The concerned face of her best friend was not something she could just say 'forget it' to. So she told what little she believed to be happening at her family's home.

Once Chiiko had decided she'd heard enough, she interrupted, "I don't see what we're waiting for, let's go find out what's really going on!"

Nabiki knew her friend was borderline impulsive, but she'd never thought Chiiko was stupid. However exiting it might seem, something like a kidnapper being successful at her home was not something she was in a hurry to face. Two generations of martial artists lived under the roof of the Tendou home. Though she had to admit there had been a few problems in the past, nothing had been irrevocable. If not Ranma, then the recent training Akane underwent would be sufficient to put a stop to any two-bit crook.

As often as she'd explained these things to Chiiko over the past year, there were some things that even a traveled girl could not be expected to believe. Gravity-defying, gender-bending martial artists just so happen to fall into that category.

"Chiiko, I'm going to call the police, and that's it. We'll wait for them and then together to find out what happened." If it fell to Nabiki to use logic, then so be it.

"Or, we can call the police and get to your folks place where we can meet up with them. It's faster if we just call them on the way there, right? You do want to know what's going on, right?" Or Nabiki could just let her friend bowl her over with her own brand of Chiiko-logic. Why not? Wasn't she right, Nabiki really did want to know who that voice belonged to, didn't she?

Giving in, she nodded assent and was rewarded with an ecstatic Chiiko.

"Yes, a mystery! Let's hurry and go," the taller brunette clamped Nabiki's hand like a vise and started dragging her off to flag down a taxi cab.

-- Tokyo, Japan / Nerima Ward / July 9, 2002. 4:00 P.M. -

Traffic had been lax, so the normally forty-five minute drive from the university to the Nerima ward only took half an hour. Twenty minutes too long for Nabiki Tendou. She'd even paid the driver extra to get them there as fast as possible. Right as they pulled up and stepped out of the taxi, she knew something was really and truly wrong. As agreed, she'd called the local police on the ride over. One of the cops from the police box up the street had agreed to come by the house. Domestic disturbances weren't frequent in the area, so the officer likely had nothing better to do and promised to head straight to the Tendou residence.

The neighborhood itself was far too quiet for her liking; even the upbeat nature of Chiiko was beginning to dwindle.

"Nabiki, this feels wrong...is the place always like this? I imagined it would be a little more, lively. From the stories you told me."

"It's, not supposed to be this way. Come on, the officer said he'd wait for us before he left. I don't see any police cruisers around either, so it must not be bad, or they'd be here as back up." Nabiki hated the way her voice made it clear that she was trying hard to convince herself just as much as her friend.

Chiiko was first to the front gate and found it partly swung open. "Looks like the police came here first, huh." Pushing it open the rest of the way, Chiiko stepped onto the grounds with Nabiki at her side. Together they looked at the house wide-eyed. The front door was completely off its hinges and strewn about the yard. "What--," even Chiiko was at a loss for words. Momentarily stunned, Nabiki was past her before she could raise a restraining hand. Never one to be outdone, Chiiko followed suit, breaking into a run to catch up to her friend, preferably before she made it inside the house.

As the remaining Tendou daughter made it up the front steps, what she had assumed was more pieces of door turned out to be the crumpled form of one of the neighborhood officers. This was bad and getting worse by the second. The fact that the house was more or less intact meant that it wasn't one of Ranma's acquaintances paying a visit. The house would've been totaled were that the case, she was sure of that.

Once her eyes adjusted to the gloom inside the house, Nabiki couldn't stifle the gasp that came unbidden to her lips. Behind her, she could feel a slightly reassuring presence; that meant Chiiko had followed her. The scene that lay out before the two girls was something neither one was prepared to witness. The entire living room was in total disarray.

The first body she recognized was Ranma's. He was sticking half in and out of the kitchen wall, pigtail hanging limply, blood smeared across the half of his face that was visible through the plaster dust. She couldn't tell if he was dead, or just unconscious. In shock she began to notice the other things that her mind dismissed out of necessity on first glance. Akane lay amidst the shattered remains of the center table, eyes glassy and unfocused. She noticed the dried blood crusted around one ear and each nostril, before she had to look away, at something, anything else.

It was Chiiko who first noticed that they weren't alone in the room. There was someone else, standing just outside her field of vision over by the remains of what looked to be a staircase. Tugging on her friend's arm, she tried as best she could with a dry mouth to issue a warning, "Na-Nabiki...by the stairs."

This had to be some terrible kind of nightmare, I fell asleep writing my paper and...Nabiki's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pull. She only caught the tail end of Chiiko's phrase, but it was enough to get her attention and fix it on the third presence that had been hidden to her until now. As she thought about it, she realized why she'd missed the other person; it felt like she was in the room with a distortion of herself!

-- Tokyo, Japan / July 9, 2002. 4:03 P.M. -

This was it, the moment that made this whole ordeal worth every second. She could all but taste the fruits of her labors. Her analogue in this universe, Nabiki, had finally shown herself. Truth be told, she was a bit of a surprise. It wasn't unheard of for an analogue to be of a different age, but this was something new to Mikoshi. There wasn't a difference of days or even months. If Nabiki showed her age, then she was nearly two years junior to the dimension traveler. Nonplused, but determined, she stepped out of the shadows she'd been waiting in. It was far past time.

Chiiko noticed it first, before even Nabiki, which was understandable given the circumstances. The bodies, while quite a shock, weren't those of her family and friends. She was horrified, yes, but not completely grief-stricken, not yet. The reality of the situation was too far out of the ordinary for the brunt of it to bury her. They weren't facing some maniac, as she supposed, but something more. Try as she might, she couldn't find anything out of place with the 'Nabiki' now standing across from them.

But, she realized, there was something amiss, a little thing, hard to pin point. The eyes! Where her Nabiki had chocolate brown eyes, this, doppelganger's orbs were cerulean blue. A true icy stare if ever Chiiko had seen one, that is, until she looked back at the woman standing next to her. That hardened calm was mirrored in full by Nabiki. Suddenly, Chiiko wanted to be here even less if that were possible. This was just not within her realm of experience.

The moment the last Tendou recognized the woman opposite her; she clammed up, frozen to the spot. The voice on the phone had sounded familiar because it had been hers. No, she realized, not quite the same, older, more weathered perhaps. But it had been Nabiki nonetheless. Something was going on here and she demanded to know the truth. Demanded to know what could justify the deaths of her entire family. No, it wouldn't matter, not now. They were dead and this, thing wearing her face would answer for its crime.

It was then that the extent of the situation came to her, Ranma, Akane, and even her father's concerted efforts hadn't been enough. The proof was all around her. With this came a more pressing thought, even more, a desire to prevent any more needless deaths. Chiiko wouldn't suffer this fate; Nabiki would ensure that, if nothing else.

Using what newfound strength she'd acquired these past few months, she tossed her only lifeline out the front door and onto the lawn. A muffled cry of mixed pain, surprise and indignation was her only signal that her friend was alright. If this affected her enemy in any way, it didn't show. Nabiki didn't care either way; she had nothing left and would see to it that this imposter was torn apart no matter the cost.

Mikoshi was surprised however at the speed and tenacity Nabiki displayed. She'd already written this off as an easy win, but hadn't counted on the remaining power between the two of them being split so evenly. As the fight began in earnest, the sheer frenzy Nabiki struck out with was more than enough to set the killer back on the defensive. Soft parries, and near evasions gave way to powerful hard blocks designed to cripple an opponent into submission. A particularly lucky backhand sent the elder of the two into a sprawl amidst the debris.

Breath running ragged, Nabiki flexed her hands, preparing to dive onto her enemy and strangle the life from her. Her revenge would not suffer a delay. Her distance was perfect and the landing nearly so, but the gap in skill between the two proved too great a hurdle. Nabiki's lunge met with a heel thrust to her abdomen. Had the blow been any higher, all of the air would have been blown out of her lungs. As it was, she fell backwards, barely regaining her footing in time to block an incoming open palm strike aimed at her solar plexus. Whoever her opponent really was, she was much faster than Nabiki had anticipated. She knew Ranma's speed and technique well. What she was up against was far greater. Despite her resolve, that one fact scared her more than she cared to admit to herself.

Even though her counter had been roughly pushed aside, Mikoshi could tell that Nabiki was already at her limits. The fight wouldn't last much longer. Even a miracle wouldn't save her now. Smirking, she began a swift three kick combination, the first front-ball kick caught Nabiki in the hip, doubling her over so the subsequent roundhouse caught her temple. As she dropped to her knees, Mikoshi ended with a powerful axe kick that caught her in the shoulder and drove her into the floorboards.

Crumpled as she was, Nabiki struggled to get up; she had to affirm her life, in this one last act. She couldn't let it end here, like this, not when she had to avenge her family. There was still...a chance, a chance that faded away like a wispy cloud in the wind. Rolling onto her back, she looked up to see her face staring back. Mustering only defiance, not strength, she spit at her twisted reflection. Hating all the time, the satisfaction she saw floating above.

Mikoshi looked down at the crushed, but not cowed Nabiki. "Don't be that way. I understand you more than you'd like to think, believe me. But, I can't let you stop me from getting what I want." Out of the corner of her eye she caught motion by the door, knowing that it was probably the other girl making her way back inside. "Think of it like this, you'll live on in spirit, within me as I ascend to my rightful place." Crouching down next to her analogue, she slowly pulled off her leather gloves.

Cradling the prostrate woman's head in her lap, Mikoshi gave her a half smile. "I wish I could stay and chat with you a little longer but," as she paused, her arms gave a swift jerk, "I have places to go and others to dispose of." The warmth faded from Nabiki's eyes, and Mikoshi began to feel it; the rush that always accompanied the death of her other self. Like so many times before, the tingling began in her toes and like a limb waking from sleep spread up her legs, settling warmly in her crotch. Before long it spread again to her stomach and breasts, down along her arms, and finally shooting through her skull like electric butterflies.

Moments later, when she came down off the high she'd been riding, and finally took a real look around, she was mildly disappointed. As much as she hated the MVA for what they'd cost her, she had hoped in the back of her mind that they might somehow track her down and give her a benchmark for her new power level. The only thing remaining was the whimpering girl that had managed to drag herself into the living room, and was now huddled in a disgraceful pile up against the upturned couch.

Upon closer inspection, she noted that the girl probably was suffering from one or more broken limbs. "My, my...Nabiki was careless with you, wasn't she?"

In response the Chiiko glared up at Mikoshi, sorrow and rage warring across her face, "You bitch! Why, why did you kill them? Why!?" Emotionally and physically drained she withdrew into herself once more, wanting to be spared and wishing she could be with Nabiki all at the same time. Moreover, she wanted the monster above her to disappear, for this nightmare to end and everything go back to the way it was. Even if she were left alive, nothing would ever be the same, how could it? All she could do was pray for Nabiki and her family, and offer one last prayer for herself before the darkness overtook her.

Walking out of the gates of the Tendou home, Mikoshi felt better than she had in a long time. "Two," she whispered to herself. "Just two more left to go." A glance at her wrist crono showed the nearest node to be quite nearby. Not as close as the one she'd used to get here, but not more than ten miles away, at the most. As she started walking, she looked down at herself. "This MVA crap has to go." She remembered the officer she'd taken the uniform from a few days ago. Traveling through a core world, it had been the best disguise at the time.

Looking at the poor urban development around her, she figured a change of clothing was not out of the question, in fact, probably prudent. The MVA was a non-entity in off-center universes like this one. The uniform would raise more attention than she was willing to have, since buy the look of it,  
the node she was headed for wasn't rural.

Truly populated Tokyo streets would not be the place to be seen in such getup. As far as she was aware it wasn't the weekend yet, then she might have been able to play it off as a cos-player, that was if this world was similar to the last few she'd 'vacationed' in.

Regardless, she would need another outfit. The uniform she wore had picked up a few blood-stains somewhere along the way. Luckily, Nabiki and her friend had been carrying a sizable amount of local currency on them when they stopped by. Mikoshi found that they had less of a use for it than she currently did. "Time to go shopping," she smirked again, this time the smile reached her eyes. Now, that, was something she truly enjoyed. There had been enough drama for one day.

With the frail strands holding her back now reduced to two. Nothing could stand in her way, she would be the One.

* * *

In the rubble within the Tendo home, with a shuddering breath a lone blue eye snapped open. "Nabiki--," the word held both promise and a growing anger.


	2. Interlude

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.  
The One is Copyright Revolution Studios Distribution Company LLC. 2001 A Ranma ½ Fan Fiction/The One AU by S³ – "Blue Requiem"

The Reason -- An Interlude --

-- Epsilon Universe / Japan / October 9, 2000 --

Seven-thirty and still no sign of him, any longer, and she told herself that she'd just forget about everything and leave. This was the second time she'd been stood up this week. What a great track record. He said he'd show up this time, he'd promised. Her thoughts began drifting back to the morning.

Neither of them had been in the best of moods at the time. It didn't make matters any better that he'd been working on a tough case over the past week. She'd been working longer hours too, ever since her company had downsized last month, though it was more than just that. Lately, the smallest thing could set off an argument. Worse, none of it was one sided. One minute things were fine, and the next, they were at each other's throat. Chalk up yet another argument.

Their relationship was quickly passing the point of no return. Everything was falling apart and she didn't know how they could fix it. The little date they'd planned for this evening in order to make amends was falling apart, and it hadn't even started yet. The longer she waited here for someone that was, in all likelihood, not going to show up, the more despondent she was going to be the rest of the night. Her heart just wasn't up to the punishment. Not anymore. Taking one last impatient glance at her watch, she grabbed her purse up with an exasperated huff.

_He's not coming_, she had a sudden feeling.

Mikoshi left the restaurant in a hurry.

When she walked in the door to her apartment, she caught the tail end of a phone message. Tossing her coat on the rack beside the door, she walked over to the kitchen counter and hit the play button. There were two messages and the earliest one played first.

_He better be calling to apologize, and if he even tried to give me any sort of excuse!_

The video screen pinged to life and there was Kenji's face, sporting his usual goofy sidelong grin. Judging from the bit of collar she could see, he was in his uniform. That was enough to tell her why he didn't show back at the restaurant.

"Hon, I won't be able to make our date tonight. You know how it is; they put me on call for the week. Turns out some bastard broke out of the transport chamber. From the sound of it, I'm on Doberman duty," He seemed to light up a little at this.

She knew full well he enjoyed his job, especially when it came to taking down the morons that thought they could get away with node-hopping crimes.

Kenji continued after a few seconds of male posturing, "I'll make it up to you when I get back. I promise. Okay? I gotta go babe. We'll talk later. I'm really sorry about the date."

She sighed, wondering why she put up with him and his antics. She erased the message and was about to get something to eat from the fridge when she remembered there was another newer message. As the new one began to play, she frowned. The forlorn face on the other end wasn't one she expected to see.

The MVA logo at the bottom of the screen wasn't something she was too accustomed with as Kenji rarely called directly from work. And they never call here. She was confused, until her boyfriend's partner began talking. It all became clear soon enough.

"Ms. Tendou…Mikoshi. I don't really know how to say this, it's ah, it's Kenji. He didn't make it back. Something went wrong, the guy we were after, he was waiting for us. He must've planted bombs or something. Half of us got caught in the first explosion. God. I tried to stop him. Kenji--he wouldn't have it though, you know how stubborn he…he pushed me into the return node before I realized what he was doing. The mission went to shit from the start. The whole team—it was a nightmare." The video flickered as the agent ran a hand through disheveled hair, drawing a heavy breath. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, resuming once he'd apparently gathered himself, "The next window is not scheduled for a few hours. I did all I could. I swear! They're not having it though. The Agency said we weren't going to send any retriev--"

The video feed cut off as Mikoshi pulled the unit from the wall and smashed it onto the counter.

"Damn it, damn you Kenji," the words came out muffled from where she stood, slumped against the counter top. "You idiot!" She didn't move for a long time. When she finally did, it was only to walk to the couch and lay down. Mikoshi didn't see the point in doing anything else right now. The MVA was probably sending someone over to try and console her. She swore, if anyone from the Agency came knocking on her door...they'd regret it for the rest of their lives.

She sat up after about twenty minutes, eyes red, but set.

_I'm not doing this. I'm not going to just sit at home and cry. Not if I can do something about it._

First off, she had to find out who owed her for taking Kenji from her.

_He might have been a hot-headed bastard, but he was mine! I worked too hard for it to end like this. He can't just run out on me!_

Mikoshi left the apartment soon after, Kenji's spare gun in a shoulder holster hidden under her jacket. The MVA building wasn't too far if she took the subway. She'd figure out exactly how to go about tracking Kenji's killer on the way there.

_It's the least I can do for you, Kenji._

Though, in the back of her mind, Mikoshi Tendou began to wonder, just who exactly was she really doing this for?

-- Epsilon Universe / Japan / October 12, 2000 --

The air pulsed with blue energy as the node opened, spilling its contents into the backyard of someone's house. Seconds later, the vortex swirled shut, folding in on itself leaving the area bathed in shadows. The pile left in the wake of the inter-dimensional portal unfolded itself from a curled up position. Pained groans accompanied this movement, as the figure attempted to stand up.

Rising to her knees, Mikoshi struggled to suppress the churning in her stomach. She ended up dry-heaving a few times for her trouble. Clearing her head, she managed to gain her feet, only a slight wobble betrayed her condition. Battered and bruised, she stumbled over to lean on the wall of the property.

_At least, I'm home.  
_

Looking down at the wrist-crono she'd 'acquired' from a dead MVA agent, she frowned. She'd accomplished what she'd set out to do. Kenji was avenged.

_Why don't I feel satisfied?_

She looked back up to where the node had winked out of existence. There was no turning back now. She'd broken a very stringent set of laws, and for what? Revenge?

_One thing's for sure, the MVA isn't going to just ignore what I've done.  
_

Once she felt composed enough to move smoothly, Mikoshi found the side gate and let herself out into the front yard. She knew she couldn't go back to her apartment. The MVA would be staking the place out. Most likely, they were doing the same at her job. She didn't have any friends to speak of, so the places she could go were very limited. Another glance at the crono told her the next node wasn't due to appear for another few days. All she had to do was wait it out.

Mikoshi figured that she would hole up on some out of the way universe. Surely the MVA would give her up for lost after a couple of months. She'd work out what to do in the meantime. The consequences of her actions had been evident to her from the start.

She knew pretty much what she was getting into when she'd stolen into the MVA branch office and taken Kenji's spare wrist-crono. The rest, well, it would be dealt with when the time came. Of that, she was certain. Mikoshi always paid her debts, and collected her dues. What was this but more of the same in the end?

Up ahead, the street lights came on, one by one, casting a dull glow along the street. She took a step forward, with many, many more to follow along this new path she'd inadvertently chosen.


	3. Chapter 2

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.  
The One is Copyright Revolution Studios Distribution Company LLC. 2001 A Ranma ½ Fan Fiction/The One AU by S³ – "Blue Requiem"

Chapter Two – Endless Melody

-- Sigma Universe / Shibuya, Japan / July 11, 2002. 8:13 P.M. --

The neon glow of downtown Tokyo cut through the night sky, both brilliant and lonely. Crowds of people filled the sidewalks, while the roads were likewise overtaken by traffic. The steady throng of so many bodies filled the air with a faint hum, the human instrument at its most eloquent.

It was enough, Mikoshi decided, to make her ill. The whole of it was anyone's vision but hers.

Oh, she had plans for it all. But, first, there was a little matter of finding the last few analogues. Once that was done, well, she would have all the time she wanted.

The only real problem she'd run across so far were the odd encounter with the MVA. It seemed of late that they were having a difficult time locating her, which, frankly, had her a little on edge. Not that there was a whole lot the organization could do, given her current state. But, it made her curious when there weren't more agents lying in wait on the past few stops she'd made. Especially now, what with only a handful of worlds left between her and the goal.

No, the MVA was surely planning some sort of trap for her. The only question was where. She discounted the last attempt, paltry as it had been. One agent in her way wasn't even worth mentioning, and less effective than that.

Had the situation been reversed, Mikoshi would have preferred to put an end to it far in advance of the last dozen kills. Up until that point, the division of power still wasn't great enough to render her immune to the majority of conventional projectile weaponry. As it stood, she was confident in her abilities against small firearms, and even automatic weapons, provided she was aware of their presence beforehand.

Naturally, it helped that her increased time perception during stressed situations made anything that moved toward her seem as if it were passing through gelatin.

All of that aside, Mikoshi was left with the mildly annoying task of locating the whereabouts of this world's version of herself. She'd thought it was all a big game on the first few worlds, taking her time in finding the subtle differences between each universe, always staying a step or two ahead of the MVA. It had been almost like a vacation from her pain. But, eventually, the chase stopped being a game and became serious when the first incident occurred. The death of her analogue, even accidentally, had grave repercussions.

What had started as a charge of premeditated manslaughter, with the murder of Kenji's killer, and the required violation of dimensional border hopping to facilitate it, had ballooned into a much more serious situation when her analogue was killed in Mikoshi's attempt to flee the MVA Dobermans on her tail.

From that point on, she'd come to the conclusion that the agents weren't going to simply stop with her arrest and conviction. There was a place for people like her, a special penitentiary Kenji had made mention of once, after a particularly grueling investigation, the Stygian penal colony in the Hades Universe, home to the worst of the Inter-universal outlaws. No, after her boyfriend's descriptions of the place, there was no way she would allow herself to be sentenced to imprisonment there.

So, she began a lengthy flight from the Multiverse Authority, the MVA. It was during the third universe jump that she encountered another parallel universe version of herself, what she came to refer to as an analogue. But unlike Mikoshi's first encounter, she had no reservations about the death of another version of herself, for the woman was a pathetic wreck, a drunken and abusive bitch of a woman that Mikoshi was only too happy to put of a perceived misery. She couldn't abide to see herself living such a useless life. To be a waste of space, it was the worst sort of life she could imagine.

For her, that was perhaps where it truly began. With the death of a second analogue, Mikoshi noticed something had changed. The status quo had subtly shifted, and she'd gotten her first taste of power.

As the body of her analogue lay cooling in a pool of blood, Mikoshi felt it, a small spark of something that burned bright in her core. Her perceptions flared, and everything was a little clearer. The scent of sour perfume, the stink of cheap whiskey and cigarettes, the acrid tang of blood, the wings of a fly on the far wall, the thick shag of the carpet underfoot, all magnified to dizzying heights. Her senses were overloaded, and just like that, the feeling passed. But, something had changed permanently. There was a sudden richness to her senses that hadn't been there before.

And Mikoshi Tendou realized something then. She didn't want it to go away.

The dimension hopper felt a slight shudder run through her body at the memory. Which brought up another unbidden thought, up until that turning point, she'd only run across what she considered normal, somewhat productive versions of herself. But in the Omicron universe, she'd hit a stumbling block. Her Omicron analogue had been a particularly powerful woman in her own right, one involved in gun running in the Indochinese waters. It was the only time where she'd come close to losing it all to another. In the end, the stronger will survived, and Mikoshi was the one to walk away.

She'd also come to the realization that she wasn't the only one reaping the benefits of her work. With every death, the rest of them became stronger, and the power was evenly divided every time. It was the will to be the last that determined the victor. That was the case on the occasions that she'd been forced into hand-to-hand combat.

Now, she took whatever opportunity was presented. Anything less could possibly result in her failure. That was a thing she would not, could not accept.

A light rain began to fall from the dark sky. Most had umbrellas with them; the rest, like herself either made for cover or enjoyed the opportunity. Mikoshi let the rain calm her, forgetting for a moment the discomfort that had arisen.

-- July 14, 2002. 9:52 P.M. --

At first glance the place didn't seem all that special, just another out-of-the-way nightclub.

Sure, the small crowd inside was mostly in their late twenties to early thirties. But, that was few points in her book. No, what made the place, was the fact that her analogue in this world apparently conducted all of her 'business' dealings here. That was the only reason Mikoshi would willingly set foot in such a place.

It'd taken a few days of searching to find out much of anything about her target. This version of herself was firmly entrenched in the criminal market. She was head of a group of local yakuza. From what Mikoshi had gleaned of the local economy and social structure during her short search, the height her analogue had risen to was astonishing for such a young person, let alone a woman.

With a sigh, she dismissed the idle thoughts and made her way through the crowd. It was still quite early, and it was likely that her target had yet to show. Slipping past one or two roaming hands, she made her way further inside, hoping the bartender was a good one. Finding a seat, she let the music wash over her for a bit. It'd been a good day, and the night was looking to be even better.

Sitting alone as she was, Mikoshi wasn't surprised to be approached every so often. She thought of obliging one or two of the offers of a dance, but was more concerned with her target than anything else. She did however take up an offer for a free drink a few times.

As she waited, something began to bother her. Glancing at her crono, her eyes widened slightly. The local time showed as a few minutes past one in the morning. She'd been waiting for over three hours!

Positive that she wasn't mistaken, she confirmed the name of the club, date and time, with the data display on the crono. Everything was correct, so the mistake was made either in error on the part of her informant, or as a setup. The MVA usually didn't plan stings, and in her case, they would be acting sooner, rather than later.

Unfortunately, since she'd not come across another agent in the past few days, she was out of the loop as far as information on the MVA was concerned. She also hadn't returned to Epsilon in over a year. There was probably a lot that she'd missed as far as many things she'd normally be caught up on.

Regardless, her main focus was the here and now. Somewhere along the way, she'd been given the runaround, and that did not make her happy. But, on the off chance that MVA agents were on her trail, she wasn't going to have the chance to make her displeasure known. If someone had sold her out to the yakuza, she'd surely have found out already. Waiting wasn't their style.

Still, Mikoshi preferred knowing what was going on as much as possible given the circumstances. And current circumstances certainly warranted more information. She was going to have to go ask someone, always an unpleasant business, for the other person.

Frowning faintly, she left her seat and moved to head toward the back of the club. As she walked, she looked around the place once more, weighing possible targets and escape routes. Mikoshi also felt around for the telltale signature of an analogue. With that one exception, she could always tell if an analogue was nearby. The feeling was mutual apparently, as a few times had proven to her dissatisfaction. But, there was nothing this time. Wherever her other was, it wasn't anywhere near this club.

Stoically, Rika swept her gaze steadily across the dozen displays on the wall of her office. The video was live from one of the nightclubs her father had bought out a few years back. There was an audio feed, but she seldom used it. Judging by the crowd on the monitors, she'd only be able to pickup background noise regardless of the directional microphones installed on the cameras.

Still, it didn't take her long to pinpoint this new threat her sources had found snooping around.

The girl on the screen bore more than just a passing resemblance to herself, Rika had to admit.

Whoever had done the operation was to be commended. The only flaw that could be readily discerned would have to be the girl's hairstyle. Not only was it much too short to suit Rika's taste, it also appeared to be following the current trends. The heiress to the Tendou Syndicate considered herself classical and immaculate. This imposter unfortunately employed incompetent informants.

Faint movement from within the shadows at the edge of her vision caught her attention. Perfect timing as always, she mused. Without taking her attention from the monitors, she addressed the figure that had in all likelihood been waiting unnoticed for a good span of time.

"You've seen the target. Keep it strictly surveillance, for now. I don't want her guard up any more than it already is. If by chance she catches on, you are to back off at once," she paused in order to catch the faint rustles of acknowledgment.

"The chance will present itself, I'm sure. Remember, just trail her. I would like to know just how far she can get on her own."

Returning her full attention to the bar scene playing out before her eyes, she reflected on the last time someone had actively delved into her organization so brazenly. Her thoughts were turned aside momentarily, as her skin registered the temperature of the room returning to normal. As the chill receded fully, she allowed herself a faint smile. The skill her "hand" possessed never ceased to amaze her. Truly, she hoped this new girl didn't disappoint her.

"Let's see how good you really are," Rika challenged the image of her doppelganger on the monitor.

There it was again, a faint feeling of being watched, scrutinized. She'd noticed it soon after entering the club. Since her quarry was nowhere in sight, she could easily believe this to be either a decoy or a trap. Not that it mattered much to her either way. So her target knew she was coming. In the end, it made for a more interesting time. Aside from the last world, it'd been a while since she'd been able to just cut loose.

She'd been moving fast over the last few weeks, more concerned with those on her trail than anything else. It had been a long time since she started all of this and it was beginning to wear on her.

Though she considered her current pursuers mostly a joke, any major slip up on her part could be the end of all her painstaking work. It wasn't about the revenge anymore. That empty feeling had past long ago, left behind on some random world.

It had since moved on to something with more permanence. The ultimate validation of her own life. Proving her existence to herself had never been enough. Her contentment would only come when her life had impacted everyone on a scale so grand that it could never be ignored. At the start, that had been the driving force behind her actions. After time, that idea had become her sole reason for being.

She'd come to accept that fact, and her will had grown to be a force that would not be denied.

The constant threat the MVA had posed in the past, was most likely rendered moot by her current power levels. No, Mikoshi finally decided the MVA be damned. She was up for a night on the town and no one was going to stop her. For the first time in a long time, she truly smiled as she headed toward the club manager's office. It was about time for the fun to start.

Although the last patron had long since fled, Mikoshi took her time sifting through the remains of the club's VIP room where she'd finally cornered the manager. Five minutes ago the place had been packed wall to wall, but now one couldn't tell by the look alone that it had ever been full.

The second the fight started, people quickly got their ass's out of the way. At the time, she'd appreciated their foresight. But now, looking back, the whole thing was a little too convenient. Fights normally drew a crowd, not the opposite.

On her second sweep of the place, she came back to the comatose body of the manager. A less than impressive man in her estimation, he'd gone down after she'd barely begun questioning him.

Tossing aside the manager's wallet, she stepped across the bodies of the club bouncers. Neither of the two who'd come to the aid of their boss had been of much help to her either. The whole ordeal had in fact left a bland taste in her mouth. As far as Mikoshi was concerned, the whole night had been one big letdown.

Making her way back towards the front entrance, she shuddered as a faint chill ran through her body. Another step forward and the air became noticeably colder, to the point where the moisture in her breath was visible. A glint from the direction of the bar caught her attention. Turning to look, her eyes widened marginally, as several of the beer bottles began to glaze over with slight frost. More out of curiosity that anything else, she reached out to take one of the bottles. The thin layer of frost was quite real she discovered. The low thrum of the air conditioner was audible now that the music had stopped, however the air vents weren't frosted over yet.

Across the room, the front doors slammed shut, drawing her gaze immediately. Across the dance floor, a man leaned nonchalantly against the entrance doors. Once she fixed him in her vision, he uncrossed his arms and lifted his head to meet her gaze. Mikoshi could only catch fleeting glimpses of his eyes through his unruly bangs, but the man virtually radiated cold. As his long hair obscured most of his features, the immaculate dark blue business suit he wore hid his physique within its sharp angles and creases. If there was one thing she was grateful for, it was that he wasn't sporting the trademark yakuza shades. She hated men who wore sunglasses indoors.

Her estimation of the man dropped a notch as he stepped away from the door just as she finished her once over of him. The chilly bastard had clearly been posing for her! "I take it you're finally ready to get started," Mikoshi tossed the question out like a statement. Her derision was met with a flash of pearly whites.

"I'd ask what business you have with the boss, but...,"the man trailed off with a wave of his hand to indicate the state the club was in. "Your work speaks for itself I think." As he continued on, he began walking a slow circuit of the dance floor. "The boss, she sends her regards to your plastic surgeon. It's a perfect likeness if I do say so myself. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you were the same. This is coming from the man that all but grew up alongside the boss."

For her part, Mikoshi pretty much ignored the insufferable banter, keeping a parallel arc within his footsteps. This left them to gravitate slowly toward one another, at which point, the battle would truly begin. After which she would gladly drag the information she needed from his battered and broken body.

As they met in the center of the floor, Mikoshi matched her opponent's spiteful grin with one of her own. He couldn't hope to match her in close quarters like this. Once more, at this distance she realized she'd seen this bastard at least once before. Suddenly it clicked, this guy was the analogue of that pig-tailed kid she'd put down hard the last world hop. This might prove to be more interesting that she'd first thought.

For his part, the man's grin grew insufferably the moment the woman stepped in close. She'd fallen right into his hands. The boss had told him to test this woman, and by his standards she'd failed miserably. Imagine letting an opponent dictate one's every move, and walking straight into a trap no less. No, she wasn't worth the boss's time. All looks with nothing to back it up. Feeling his smile reach nearly up to his ears, he spoke one last time. The words he so relished, "I win."

Mikoshi's eyes widened marginally in surprise as the air around her opponent started to shimmer and mist over. Through the growing haze, she could just make out the moment he raised his fist high into the air before all hell broke loose. A storm born of nothing but the air in the room surged to live, centered on her body.

While she struggled to fight the initial blast, the winds only grew in intensity, lifting her off of her feet in seconds. The last thing she would remember seeing were the ceiling beams, up close and personal.

Slowly, thoughts and senses began to filter back in, the black haze surrounding her mind melted away leaving behind soft grey gauze. Several hard, jagged bits and pieces made their presence known as soon as she tried shifting her weight in the slightest. Undeterred, Mikoshi forced her sluggish eyes to open, if only part way. The flashbulbs that suddenly went off in her head, discouraged any more willful movements. But for now she could afford a measure of relief. Pain meant that she was still alive.

Feeling her mind start to drift, she refocused on the present. That man, he had pulled a fast one that was for certain. Whatever magic he'd had up his damn sleeve, it wouldn't work twice. Mikoshi would kill the bastard on principle alone after that cheap trick. Unfortunately, the fact that she was all in one piece, meant that her opponent was most likely in the same or better condition, having been expecting the blast. That was one strike against her favor. Clearing the last of the cobwebs from her focus, she sat up fully this time and took a look around the debris of the club.

Only one of the walls was left intact far to the back of the nightclub, the rest of the place was nothing but foundation and rubble strewn about the street. So far, she caught not a glimpse of her opponent. And judging from the way her ears were still ringing from the blast, she couldn't have been unconscious for more than a minute or two, at most. Of course, the sirens she could plainly hear in the distance gave her room for a longer estimate, like five to ten minutes.

At this point, she considered her options, which weren't many. Either she could sift through the rubble looking for his body before the cops showed, or she would have to start from scratch on her leads, and get out of the area and lay low for a while. The first option didn't sound exactly appealing, given the way her back was protesting her movements, and although she hated to cut her losses, getting the hell out of here was looking to be the better choice. If luck was on her side, the yakuza would think she had been killed in the blast. If she had been anyone else, Mikoshi would have had to agree with them. A normal person would have been painted all over the ground.

With that decided, the universe hopper rose to her feet, albeit unsteadily, and made her way back to the hotel she'd been staying at. All in all, she'd had better nights.

-- Sigma Universe / Shibuya, Japan / July 12, 2002. 10:45 P.M. --

Rika Tendou watched the byplay on the surveillance monitors up until the collapse of the establishment; one of her personal favorites, no less. After expressly forbidding conflict, she'd been deliberately disobeyed. Though her features were a mask of stoicism, the air was rife with displeasure. He was on his way back, which was one point in his favor. She valued punctuality.

However, even her Hand was subject to certain rules, rules that she would enforce personally. He worked for her, and though she allowed him his whims, this hadn't been one of the times to indulge. Rika wanted information, information that was impossible to get from a smear, which undoubtedly was all that remained of her erstwhile doppelganger.

As always, he made his presence known before Rika ever laid eyes on him, another one of his near endless quirks that never failed to amuse and annoy her at the same time. Amusing because at times she wondered just how old he really was, surely older than she, judging by the look of his face. But, his mannerisms hinted at a boyish mind, quite charming on occasion, and simply inopportune at others, evidenced by the nights little display. Also quite annoying for the selfsame reasons, a study in contrasts, her assassin, a cold blooded killer with the attention span of a ten year old.

"I know what you're thinking boss, but she wasn't worth my time, and certainly not yours," The crisp voice of her Hand left Rika no room for idle reflection. Punctual indeed.

"Be that as it may, you were given explicit instructions to leave her alone. Sit back and observe nothing more. I realize now, that may have been too much for one such as yourself." The head of the Tendou Clan's tone left no brook for argument. "Furthermore, your hasty actions obliterated private property, my property. You will redress the matter."

"Yes, of course, boss."

The tone, or lack thereof, of his response was as she expected. This matter wasn't finished. She would collect, from his wallet, or his skin. He owed her, and he always would. Rika Tendou made certain of that. Flicking a switch on the intercom, she pressed the number for speaker unit just outside her suite. "See to it that I am not disturbed until morning."

"Certainly, Ms. Tendou," the voice of her personal bodyguard replied through the speaker.

"Now, that repayment...," Rika let her words trail off as she crooked a finger at the man draped in shadow across the room.

Steam swirled about the bathroom, fogging the mirror as it hung heavy in the air. The first thing the dimensional traveler had done upon returning to her room was fill the tub. A hot bath and maybe a drink or two was the order of the night. She would have a little reconnaissance to do in the morning. Possibly she'd have to rethink her whole approach. That remained to be seen. Her analogue was far better fortified than had been expected.

Though, that wasn't even the root of the problem here. Most defenses she'd normally been able to blow right through in the past. This, well, something was different. The native abilities on this world were much higher than three fourths of the places she'd been in the past. It was going to be a challenge. Finally. And as long as the MVA stayed out of her way, this recent snag would be but faded memory come tomorrow.

Tossing her ruined suit aside, Mikoshi watched it crumple into a wrinkled heap. That was it for the MVA suit. A shame, since it'd been so comfortable. Her undergarments followed, and Mikoshi took a moment to check for any substantial injuries she might have sustained in the blast. A light brown mark on her hip proved to be tender to the touch, a bruise then.

Finding nothing more serious, she dipped a leg into the water, sighing with some satisfaction. The water was just the way she liked it, a few degrees below scalding. Slowly she slid her body into the tub, careful not to move unduly. As the water enveloped her, minor nicks and scrapes made themselves known, but soon even they succumbed to the all pervading heat. Until she destroyed the last few obstacles to her goal, this was as close to the heavens as she was going to get.

The early morning sun drifted lazily through the curtains of the hotel window, falling to highlight the sleeping traveler's dark brown locks, rendering them a temporary golden hue. Muttering sleepily, an arm slid across her face to block out the offending rays, filtered as they were. Mikoshi cracked one eye, casting it toward the alarm clock. The flashing numbers on the face of the digital alarm displayed a repeating 12:00. It took some time before the implications of those blinking digits reached past her drowsiness. She'd forgotten to set the damn alarm!

Rolling over, and throwing the covers aside, she sat up cursing to herself. Grabbing for her wrist crono, she finally succeeded in snatching it from the top of the nightstand. The numbers were slightly mollifying, and she slumped back against the headboard. 8:23 in the morning. It was still early then. She'd been preparing to find that it was much later, like past noon. With the MVA on her tail, even as incompetent as they were, she could hardly afford to be lounging around in pajamas all day. She had things to do, and people to 'meet'.

-- July 13, 2002. 11:53 A.M. --

The Tendou building was quite impressive, the short haired assassin admitted to herself. Her esteemed analogue had done well for herself, having inherited a criminal empire, and the sizable fortune that went along with it. Mikoshi was duly impressed. However, all of the flashy accoutrements and underhanded lackeys in the world weren't going to stay her hand. The only thing left was to find a suitable entrance into the building that wouldn't attract too much attention.

While rushing headlong generally served to catch her opponents off guard, this one wasn't so gullible. Add to that, the fact that they knew of her presence to a degree, and the element of surprise was substantially dulled. There had to be some way to either gain the upper hand, or take out her analogue from a distance. She'd considered blowing up the building, but that way held too many possibilities that her quarry would escape in the aftermath. No, Mikoshi preferred more up close and personal methods. And there was that thrice damned stooge from the night club to consider.

However she went about it, it needed to be done soon. With only one other universe left, the MVA were bound to catch on to where Mikoshi was. They would be sparing no effort to locate this looming threat to the multiverse. The thought of those monkeys sticking their paws in her business irked the killer to no end. "I should've gone back and taken out their headquarters when I had the chance," she thought aloud.

At the moment, Mikoshi was sitting on a bench at the edge of the park that was in front of the Tendou main branch in downtown Shibuya. It hadn't taken her long to find the place, despite the fact that this Tokyo was slightly different in layout to her own native world. All of the main streets had been the same though. It was the side streets and alleys that were different. Luckily, she'd felt relatively at ease here, and risked travelling by taxi. Her thinning wallet was testament to the higher rates for public transportation in this universe. Of course, it hadn't really been her wallet to begin with.

Across the street, several men in dark suits entered the front doors of the Tendou place, more of her analogues goons no doubt. Similar men had been entering the building in small groups for the past hour. Maybe there was some sort of meeting going on. She wasn't quite as familiar with the workings of the Yakuza as she would have liked to be in this case. While she understood the legal aspects of their dealings, she didn't care for the whole organized crime bit.

If you wanted something done right, you did it yourself. That was her tried and true maxim. There was no need for underlings to lord it over in her worldview. Mikoshi liked her hands to get dirty once in a while. Servants to cater to one's needs were acceptable, but hired goons and underlings were useless cannon fodder. And she was going to put that belief to practice soon enough.

The head of the Tendou Corporation scanned the faces of the half-dozen men seated around the lacquered table in the middle of the meeting hall. Each were loyal, handpicked by her father before her, and had served well into the later years of his life. They were an indispensible asset to the Tendou vision, and key to maintaining an advantageous position in both the local and national market.

However, as in all things, Rika had found a fly or two in the ointment as it were. Word had reached her ear of certain under the table dealings between one of the Tendou backers and a rival corporation, and she wasn't the least bit pleased at the way her company was being undermined. While such things were not uncommon in such a cutthroat world, they were generally kept more, discrete. This latest offense thought, had for all intents and purposes, been virtually thrust in her face. The Tendou name did not suffer blatant mockery.

"Gentlemen, I trust everyone is aware of the purpose behind this little gathering," her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she regarded each face in turn, before fixing on one particular, and unmistakable, visage. The man in question bristled at the veiled implication, but held his tongue lest it betray him further.

Rika was met with deliberate nods, as five heads acknowledged her. With a steel-lined tone, she continued, "I'll dispense with the pleasantries then. Mr. Kunou, since we all seem to be on the same page here, what is your thoughts on the matter?" Rika's brown eyes bored into the man in question. Five other pairs of eyes followed suit.

The sudden focus appeared to be the last straw, and the longtime proprietor of the vast Kunou estate slammed his hands on the table, and erupted from his seat. "I had no choice!"

While one or two of the chair members were visibly taken aback at the untoward display, Rika was less impressed, merely arching a shapely brow. "Oh? Pray tell what it is that warranted a knife in my back? Because I'm sure it must be very interesting, and very important. So important that you'd be willing to risk everything you have on it. It would have to be quite considerable indeed."

Beads of sweat adorned the Kunou patriarch's tan brow. His shoulders started to droop as the heady rush of adrenaline ran its course. He licked his suddenly dry lips, well aware of the consequences if he should fail in convincing the woman before him of the validity of his actions. Yes, he had betrayed the Company. But, at the time, his reasons had been justified. The Kunou name must not be sullied! He gritted his teeth preparing for one final act of desperation. The matter must be redressed at all cost; he would not suffer any further loss of face.

"I'm waiting, Mr. Kunou," Rika's voice cut through the older man's introspection. She already knew exactly what had transpired to drive the man to shift his sizable assets elsewhere. It was hardly a secret in any true sense, but nevertheless remained unspoken. It was a social taboo or maybe an unspoken mutual agreement between the long standing house of Kunou and the populace at large. After all, what established family didn't have a few loose ends, or a skeleton, in the closet? Even her own, for that matter, had things in the darkness.

In the case of the Kunou family, there were two such little secrets. His children and their activities behind closed doors, to be precise. But, those were Kunou's cards to play, even if his hand had been forced.

Kunou finally gathered enough of his bearing, "I was, blackmailed."  
There, he'd said it. "A certain video file was presented to me, along with a request for quite a large portion of my capitol. I was assured that it would be made public, and as you can see, I readily complied."

Rika gave a slow languid nod. "I believe it was in the vicinity of thirty percent of your assets."

"Thirty-five percent, all told," the man looked as if he were about to collapse in on himself.

"Not an inconsiderable sum. But, you know this isn't about the money. It's about something else entirely. The trust my father had in you. Trust that I generously extended as well. Perhaps we were wrong in assuming that trust was mutual," She gauged her words as Kunou paled further. "Was that so wrong? Did you think our ties so loose, and our word so useless that we couldn't intercede on your behalf?"

"N-no. This was personal; I didn't want to concern you with it. A Kunou takes care of his own." At this point, it didn't seem like the man believed his own words any longer.

A coarse laugh echoed across the wooden table. A few of the other members exchanged unreadable glances. "So it was personal. Well, I believe everyone here takes business and money for that matter, very personally. I take it very personally. After all, this involves not only the Kunou assets, but the Tendou assets as well in the long run." Then she waved her hand dismissively. "As I said, it's not about the money. I'll see to that issue later. The point, that you've been stumbling your way round about, is what you are going to do to rectify the matter of lost trust. The Company needs something from you. Something heartfelt, a precious thing that you might not in a brighter situation be so inclined to part with," Rika leaned forward, almost cat-like, letting her chest just barely brush against the tabletop. "I need a flesh and blood assurance that this won't happen again. A little something that I can, trust.

If it was possible, Kunou paled even further, his eyes involuntarily falling to his hands, and the ten digits there. This couldn't be happening, he thought. This was the modern age, and not some Yakuza v-cinema. "You're serious?" His voice wavered incredulously.

"Quite so, gentlemen?"

The head of the Tendou Company was met with several looks akin to Kunou's pale disbelief.

"I'll send a car for your daughter this evening."

Kunou was too stunned to respond immediately, "W-wait, my daughter? Why?" He was still staring at his extended fingers.

Rika noticed his line of sight and smirked, "What were you expecting? Or did you think that your fingers would be worth that much to me? Hardly. No, a whole live body however, has many more uses. Besides, I'd think she's caused you enough trouble already. Thirty five percent isn't enough?"

Kunou eventually lowered his hands. How else could this day go so terribly wrong?

-- July 13, 2002. 12:20 A.M. –-

Mikoshi stared out past the railing across the dozen or so meters between where she stood on the ledge of the adjacent rooftop. It had seemed the better option, to use the building next to the Tendou high rise, instead of trying to walk in through the front door. So she'd slipped in unnoticed, making use of the fire escape to gain access to the roof.

Hopping up onto the narrow railing, she coiled her legs minutely and released, launching herself across the gap to land with a small thump into the middle of the opposite rooftop. Looking back across the intervening distance, her brow furrowed minutely. It was getting harder to judge her strength, especially after the last two, trips. She could feel it growing deep within her, spreading exponentially after each suicide. What had initially been a trickle was now a roaring waterfall hidden behind a fragile skin of ice. But, even as her reserves expanded, so too did her control, albeit at what felt like a snail's pace.

However, there was no time. No time to really let it all soak in and do more than just grab at the reigns of her destiny. Almost out of control, but she managed on force of will alone. There was no other way. It was her rush, her reason. Maybe it was just as well that the MVA always dogged her so closely. There could be no stopping, no thinking and no remorse. So she plowed ahead. And now, it was close to finished, a handful of steps left in a trek that would ultimately span one hundred and twenty five worlds.

And yet, she was tired. Mikoshi shut her eyes for a moment, drawing a breath. Yes, it was there, if she tried she could almost brush it with her fingertips, but not yet. There was still work to do.

* * *

Rika permitted herself a small smile, as the door closed behind the last of her business associates leaving the meeting. Initially, she'd been mildly incensed at the trouble the Kunous had dragged to her doorstep, but after turning the problem over, she'd seen the potential for profit, such that outweighed the marginal loss the corporation had incurred. It was that thought that then turned her mind to more interesting matters, the acquisition of another Kunou, one that hopefully would prove more agreeable than the father.

As useful as he sometimes proved, Rika bore little more than passing trust to the man. He had almost no backbone, and money only carried one so far, in this business especially. No, the credit he'd established with her predecessor was all but used up. She'd kept him around this long only out of respect for her father's wishes, but so far she'd found none of what had possibly impressed the elder Tendou. She saw only a weak willed man, subservient to the whims of his eccentric brood.

But in that, there showed the glimmer of promise. And through his daughter, Rika would tighten her hold on the remains of the Kunou fortune, and if she played her hand right, the reacquisition of the stock they held in her company. The Kunou's last act as trustees would be to serve as examples to the rest of the members, and cement Rika's own position on the board with the extra shares. Yes, the day was starting out quite nicely.

Just as she made to leave for her office, an odd feeling crept across her back, itching at the base of her neck. It was like someone was watching her, but more, intimate somehow. The Tendou heiress frowned, flicking her eyes to the surveillance system, but the light indicated the dampers were still in effect, no one had been eavesdropping on the meeting. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling, almost as if someone were shadowing her every step, or lurking just around each corner. It was a wholly unnerving sensation, and while Rika wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was bothered by it tremendously.

It just wouldn't do for her to show any such weakness; luckily no one was around to see the leader of the Tendou Corporation shifting her eyes at any hint of shadow or perceived movement in the corner of her eye.

The Tendou building was a bastion, but as she continued further up toward her office suite, the feeling only grew stronger. Until, once she reached the giant wooden double doors to her office, she sketched out a quick call to her body guards. Yes, she did have to brief them on the situation that would be coming up with the Kunou girl after all. That was reason enough, in of itself.

* * *

Mikoshi paced back and forth across the rooftop of the Tendou building. This close, it was obvious her analogue was inside, scant few floors below her feet. But, though she sensed the growing power of her other self, there was another familiar presence nearby. That alone gave the dimensional traveler room for pause as she turned the feelings over in her mind, trying to place the essence.

However, it was faint, almost an afterthought. Try as she might, it just wasn't something that she was used to. While there had been others, the majority of the worlds had been alike to hers in form and content. None had yet to match the force she'd painstakingly gathered from her analogues. But, lately, they'd been getting closer. The last world in particular had her thinking. Coupled with the incident at the night club, she was sure that this world too would be providing her with a few more surprises. Soon, she'd find out if they were the welcome kind. Once more, she found a smile creeping onto her lips, as she tingled in anticipation, and moved over to the central skylight. There was a prize to claim, beneath that glass somewhere.

Mikoshi jumped.


	4. Chapter 3 part 1

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, One is Copyright Revolution Studios Distribution Company LLC. 2001 A Ranma ½ Fan Fiction/The One AU by S³ – "Blue Requiem"

Chapter Three - Shaking the World (part 1)

- Sigma Universe / Shibuya, Japan / July 13, 2002. 12:20 A.M. -

Beneath Mikoshi the skylight burst like a soap bubble stretched too thin, offering about as much resistance. Regardless of the sudden drop, her heightened senses kicked into overdrive, allowing for ample time to gauge the extent of the hornet's nest she was about to stir up. It was a lengthy corridor upholstered in classic décor, small stone lanterns lined the wooden walkway that ran the whole of the hall. The polished floor rushed up to meet her, that she might join the small group walking along below.

Landing on the floor in a crouch amid the broken shards, the dimensional hopper rose to her feet just behind the group of four men. Three of them were in the process of turning at the sound of the shattered skylight, the forth however, reacted quite differently, beginning to cover his balding head with outstretched arms. Even as the older one began the process of cowering, the other three, decked out in very expensive tailored suits, were reaching instinctively into their jackets.

Shaking her head, she moved to bridge the gap between them, one booted foot already lashing out to hit the man in the middle dead on in the chest before his hand closed on whatever weapon he was going for. The blow bent him nearly in two, and send him crashing against one of the lanterns, nearly side-swiping the baldy he was probably escorting.

She couldn't see their full expressions behind the dark glasses they were sporting, but the one on the left looked to be forming a shout of warning. Which she put a stop to, by way of a hard palm to the side of his jaw, driving the goon headfirst into the wall of the corridor. By which time, the last suit had cleared the grip of what had to be a pistol from his jacket.

Mikoshi brought her striking arm back hard, crooked to elbow the unlucky suit in the face. There was a satisfying crunch of plastic, then bone, as his nose broke along with the sunglasses. The force of the blow sent him sprawling backwards, ass over elbows. As his body stopped rolling, time seemed to snap back into line, along with the shout of surprise and groans of pain that rushed to catch up to her ears.

Ignoring the cowering old man, she stepped around the fallen thugs, the soft tread of her boots echoing along the hall with purpose. The moment she'd dropped into the building, the feeling had grown that much stronger, almost pulling her along toward the prize.

Rika folded her hands in front of her, resting them on the tabletop. So far, aside from the hiccup with the head of the Kunou faction, the weekly meeting was progressing with little fanfare. All of her assets were accounted for, everyone was on task. That alone pleased her immensely. As far as she was concerned, there was no contention left by the passing of her father.

Not surprisingly, since she'd put so much effort into steering things her way when the man has still been alive. Shutting out her own siblings had been the first step, and that had indeed been the easiest matter. When the oldest had no ambition, finding solace in the bottom of her cup, and the youngest provided the seeds of her own destruction, more concerned with the here and now than the future, why wouldn't that have been the case.

Still, nuisance though they might have been, they were family, and that was one thing that Rika had taken to heart from her father's time as head of the company. As long as her sisters stayed out from underfoot, their needs would be seen to.

Even now, her younger sister, Akane, wasn't doing half-bad for herself. Last she'd checked, the temperamental firecracker was running a small time enterprise out of the bay area. The Tendou corporation had minor holdings in shipping, dealing with imports from Hong Kong. Revenue had been declining over the past two years, but it was Tendou money nevertheless. As such, the commodities being shipped required insurance, protection of a more physical nature. Which is what Akane, and her little group, provided.

Frankly, the docks that the shipping operated out of, was in a troublesome area, which required more hands-on work than Rika would have preferred to deal with on a regular basis. Akane, however, was drawn toward that sort of thing like a moth to a flame, and had been similarly burnt on more than one occasion. But, it never seemed to deter the youngest Tendou, rather serving to incite her rather manic personality all the more. In all honesty, it was a trait that Rika was thankful not to have shared, as it caused more trouble than it was sometimes worth.

At the other end of the spectrum, the eldest, Kasumi, was just as much of a bother, if of a wholly different sort. Even growing up, she'd had neither the interest, nor the stomach for the serious work that went on behind the scenes. Everything that was necessary to keep the well-oiled Tendou company up in this floating world, seemed anathema to her. However, the Tendou name alone was influential enough to keep her from doing as she pleased, living her own life, and ignoring the truth for the sake of progress.

The way Rika saw it, her older sister had real choices left to her, either give up and embrace the lifestyle, or take the path less traveled, cut ties with the family and become something less. For that's what would have happened, as her sister simply did not have the strength of character to go against the family, or the society that supported such an existence.

No, there had only really ever been the one choice, and Kasumi picked the path of least resistance; perhaps in light of what she'd actually done, the path of no resistance. In the end, she'd refused to face the world at large, preferring the solace and quietude of the ancestral Tendou home. There were servants to attend her there, though none of the rest of the family had resided there for almost a generation.

Rika herself hadn't been there since her father's passing, and even then it was a ceremonial visit. The place might well have been full of history, which is why it was still being maintained, but it was also a throwback to a bygone era, having little place in the modern world, situated as it was in the mountains, as if it were some sacred temple. No, Kasumi was all the more welcome to keep watch over it, living out the rest of her days as some ascetic.

Returning her attention to the meeting, she looked out across the table at those gathered around. Yes, these were individuals she trusted, enough to keep the company prosperous. More than that, she knew was too much. It took quite a bit of work to keep them in check, but that was best accomplished by giving each of them just enough to chew on, yet still hungry to hold the others at bay.

Nearly each of them to the man, had served the self-same capacity under her father, and were content as long as the status quo was maintained. To that end, none of them had dared rise up to fill the gap that her father's death had momentarily left, for fear that the fallout would bring everything crumbling down. As long as they could remain fat and happy, what did it matter who was at the top? Rika could live with that, as long as no one did anything foolish to disrupt the balance.

Satisfied as she was, she couldn't help but feel a tightness in her chest. It wasn't quite a physical pain, but a quickening of the pulse. Imperceptibly, her eyes tightened, and she cast a glance around the room. This wasn't something she was accustomed to feeling, this weight in her center, growing heavier. It took a moment longer to realize what it was. Nervousness, agitation. But, she couldn't see anything amiss, yet something was undeniably wrong right now.

This was it, Mikoshi all but grinned to herself as she made her way down a final stretch of hallway. At the far end, two men were standing with their backs to a much larger set of double doors, their attention immediately on her approach. It hardly mattered, as her own focus was mostly on what lay past them, behind the doors.


End file.
